By JESSE GRAHAM
FIVE people were lucky to end their week without serious injuries after a high-speed, three-car accident on Healesville-Yarra Glen Road.
A white Ford sedan was travelling towards Healesville about 2.25pm on Tuesday 27 August when the driver, a 43-year-old Healesville man, veered onto the wrong side of the road around the bend near TarraWarra Museum of Art.
The white sedan collided with a maroon Ford and a green Subaru, both travelling towards Yarra Glen, before leaving the road down an embankment.
SES, Victoria Police, CFA and ambulance members all attended the scene and the occupants of all the cars, five in total, were treated for minor injuries, cuts and abrasions.
None of the people involved received serious injuries or had to be taken to hospital.
Yarra Glen Police Sergeant Richard Coulson said the driver of the maroon Ford, a 68-year-old from Doncaster East, was able to take evasive action when he noticed the white car veering onto the wrong side of the road.
“It’s extremely lucky that the driver managed to take evasive action and avert a head-on collision,” he said.
The white Ford hit the driver’s side of the car while both vehicles were travelling abou 80 kilometres per hour.
Sgt Coulson said the driver of the white car told police he was changing a radio station and not paying attention to the road when the accident occurred and warned drivers to stay alert.
“I think drivers need to ensure they are concentrating on the road ahead and not being distracted by radios or GPS devices, things that may take their eyes off the road,” he said.
“It only takes a split-second to cause a significant impact collision, especially in these high-speed zones.”
Police directed traffic around the scene of the accident as the cars were taken away on tow-trucks – all three were extensively damaged.
Sgt Coulson noted that air-bags assisted in preventing more serious injuries to those involved in the crash and urged drivers to take care on high-speed and winding roads.
The driver of the white car received a penalty notice for careless driving, which carries a $346 fine and three demerit points.
